Earth-auger



(No Model.)

H. `Plmsorr. EARTH AUGER.

VPan1',-e11ted Jan. 28', 1896.

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UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE.

HANS PEDERSON, OF COUPLAND, TEXAS.-

EARTH-AUGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 553,660, dated January 28, 1896.

Application filed April 6, 1894. Serial No. 506,629. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANS. PEDERsoN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Coupland, in the county of Villiamson and State of Texas, have invented anew and useful Earth-Auger, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to earth-angers, and particularly to those designed for digging post-holes, and the objects in view are to provide an improved auger for the purpose named which shall have a lateral,in contradistinction to a horizontal, cutting-edge and a continuous cutting-edge from its point to its top, said cutting-edge receding continuously and uniformlypfrom the axis' of rotation of the tool, whereby it cuts from the center outward and gradually widens or increases the diameter of the hole at any given point until this point is reached bythe periphery of the ears or basin at the top of the bit, and, furthermore, to provide-means for packing or smoothing the sides of the hole.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of an auger embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the auger from a position indicated bythe arrow in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, a dotted line being arranged to inclose the blade to show the divergence of the cutting-edge from a true circle. Fig. 4 is a transverse inverted section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. Y

The staff l of the improved auger is preferably formed integral with the bit or head 2, said bit or head being reduced to a feedingpoint 3 at its lower end and having a plurality of continuous spirally-disposed cutting-edges 4, which, starting at the point 3, recede continuously and uniformly from the axis or center of rotation of the bit until they reach the points 5 at the outer extremities of the radial edges 6 in the plane ofthe top ofthe bit. These radial edges 6 are spaced from the portion of the cutting-edges which extend thereunder to form passages 7, through which the earth passes in rising to the basin 8, formed by the diametrically-opposite horizontallydisposed ears 9 and l0. The portion 1l of the cutting-edge which is disposed above the plane of the bottom of said basin, and which forms the boundary of the basin, is upturned to occupy'a substantially vertical position, whereby its outer convex surface serves to compress the surfaces of the sides of the hole as the auger descends, and whereby during the withdrawal of the tool from the hole any loose earth which may be detached is received by the basin. The feeding-point 3 is disposed at such an angle to theV axis of rotation as to feed positively and at a rate corresponding with the cutting capacity of the continuous edges. Y.

The spiral disposition of the surfaces of the blades causes the loosened or detached earth to be fed upward upon the inclined surfaces until it reaches the plane of the basin in which it is retained to facilitate removal from the hole.

The auger is preferably constructed of diametrically-opposite blades, as shown in the drawings, whereby the opposite cutting-edges operate upon diametrically-opposite portions of the hole, thus equalizing the strain and causing the tool to operate uniformly.

The special advantage of the improved form of auger resides in the facility with which it cuts the earth and in the fact that the previously-cut earth readily yields to the pressure of the newly-cut earth to provide space for its reception. It is obvious that the spirallydisposed edge forms a shearing cut, in that it is disposed, at any given point, at an inclination to the plane of rotation, and while the previously-cut earth is being forced upward upon the inclined faces of the blades the edges are cutting laterally and drawing the earth inward toward the center of the auger lto cause the upward pressure by which said previously-cut earth is being elevated. In other words, the tool operates to clear its blades continuously during rotation and thus, by forming a passage for the escape of the earth, facilitates the clearing of the cuttingedges.

Having described my invention, I claim- As an improved article of manufacture, the

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herein shown and described earth auger, comprising a statt and bit integrally formed, the bit comprising two diametrieally opposite blades uniting at their lower ends to form a feeding point and terminating at their upper ends in opposite horizontally-disposed ears which unitedly form an earth basin, and said blades gradually and uniformly receding or converging from the earth basin to the feeding point and extending in a spiral direction, the outer cutting edge portions of the said blades curving forwardly, and the upper edge portions thereof bein g upturned and eonvexed on their outer surfaces, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HANS PEDERSON.

Vitnesses:

WM. LUCAS, F. I. FISHER. 

